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Synonyms

head of state

American  

noun

  1. the person who holds the highest position in a national government.

    a meeting of heads of state.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The approved bill now stipulates that the vice-president - appointed by the president rather than elected - will become the head of state to serve out the rest of the seven-year term.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Rodriguez, who is acting head of state, appointed General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez to lead the Defense Ministry.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Iran’s supreme leader serves as the country’s head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces and the highest authority in its political and religious system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Schwarzenegger, 78, served as the state’s 38th governor and last Republican head of state from 2003 to 2011.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

President Botha was now head of state but not of his own party.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.